Elephants

Scientists estimate that Vietnam may be home to less than 100 wild Asian elephants today, living in three small groups in Dak Lak, Dong Nai and Nghe An provinces.

Major threats to elephants include habitat loss and hunting, mainly to exploit the ivory tusks found only on male Asian elephants. Wild elephants are also captured live for domestication and used as work animals and for tourism.

Human-elephant conflict over land remains a major concern in Vietnam, where expanding and shifting agriculture, as well as human settlement encroaches upon the last remaining areas where elephants survive in the wild. Photo by Fauna - Jenny Daltry

This young male elephant was the victim of a snare trap, set for other wildlife. Injured by the wire trap, the baby elephant later died, probably as a result of subsequent infection from the wound.Photo by Mark Grindley/PARC Project

A chain prevents this captive elephant at Hanoi Zoo from moving far. Elephants need lots of open space in the wild to roam and forage.Photo by ENV